Radiolocation of a Satellite-Borne LOVHF Beacon
Abstract
A year long experimental program was conducted to measure refractive bending, or how much the signal deviates from true line of sight, at low VHF frequencies (29.5 MHz), and to determine whether this deviation or error could be predicted using large scale ionospheric models such as the Ionospheric Conductivity and Electron Density (ICED) program. An experiment to directly measure the angle of arrival of a 29.5 MHz signal from an orbiting satellite was successfully completed. The satellite was in a circular orbit at an altitude of 1000 km. It was shown that refractive errors can be directly related to the electron density along the measurement slant range. Ionospheric disturbances such as sporadic E and ionospheric storms produce large, short term errors that can approach 10 degrees. In addition to day/night variations, seasonal and solar cycle sensitivities were found. The refractive error varied so rapidly with respect to time and space that its prediction with a median value ionospheric code is almost impossible. Propagation, Prophet, Expert systems Propagation forecast, Solar disturbances,
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA264670
Entities
People
- Robert B. Rose
Organizations
- Naval Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance Center